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Best LIVE LAUNCH SHOW?

There has always been a live launch show for Big Brother since 2002. But which is your favourite? Including CBB. Nowadays they seem like a normal episode rather than an event but back on Channel 4 they were extremely hyped up and "special".

CBB3 sticks in my mind because the celebs (they were real back then!) entered the house each speculating what BB could possibly have in store for them. Only to later discover that their very first task would involve constructing their own beds if they'd hoped for a decent first night's kip! They definitely didn't expect that!

This is going to seem like a shock to most, but I'd say BB4 was the most exciting. The show felt so huge after BB3 that it was such an event when the next series launched. They had the clock counting down all week, and the excitement was at a fever pitch when the show began.

I'd also say BB3 and BB5. BB3 for being the first live launch, and BB5 for the different direction the show took after the first four relatively normal series.

This is going to seem like a shock to most, but I'd say BB4 was the most exciting. The show felt so huge after BB3 that it was such an event when the next series launched. They had the clock counting down all week, and the excitement was at a fever pitch when the show began.

I'd also say BB3 and BB5. BB3 for being the first live launch, and BB5 for the different direction the show took after the first four relatively normal series.

It did seem as if it was going to replicate the success of BB3 on launch night. The promo had been huge, the eye was striking, the house was gorgeous and the contestants appeared perfect. BB turned the screws almost immediately by forcing them to nominate. Davina was turned up to 11 and the crowd went barmy.

I agree it was a very good launch and certainly not the worst series by a mile. The loss of Annouska as a result of that first-night vote was an awful shame. The pedalo shopping task was also brilliant, BB meant serious business right from the off! The house-swap twist was a genius idea, however, the great divide of BB3 just cannot ever be topped imo.

This is going to seem like a shock to most, but I'd say BB4 was the most exciting. The show felt so huge after BB3 that it was such an event when the next series launched. They had the clock counting down all week, and the excitement was at a fever pitch when the show began.

I can remember feeling very excited in the run up to BB4. The promos with the eye were fantastic, where it just had the theme tune playing in the background, with no voices over it; just a shot of the eye gradually appearing into shot. They were very simple but IMO, that made them all the better:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFlRBPY-yzs

I think BB4 also had the first countdowns. These were brilliantly done as well. A very quick glimpse of a part of the house, (my absolute favourite BB house - gorgeous and cosy and not looking tacky or garish at all), before a haunting whispering voice saying how many days are left, with Marcus Bentley just saying the start date: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq6HSOYmWAE

And then when the day got even closer, just having a countdown of the number of hours and minutes left: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn359Wh_YYw which then culminated to a final ten second countdown at the start of the launch show before Davina said, "it's back."

To me, it's proof that you don't need to go overboard in order for something to be good. Sometimes, keeping it simple is the best.

God that video alone reminds me how uncomfortable the whole Sam situation was in BB6. Hiding her stuff, the way Lesley spoke to her, the way Derek spoke to her. There is no way BB6 would be allowed to air today!

God that video alone reminds me how uncomfortable the whole Sam situation was in BB6. Hiding her stuff, the way Lesley spoke to her, the way Derek spoke to her. There is no way BB6 would be allowed to air today!

Derek was an evil idiot. Never liked him and the way he spoke to Sam was disgusting. Science and Makosi all the way in BB6.

Ah so nostalgic all this talk! I remember being terribly excited during a live launch, especially during the C4 CBB years as you genuinely didn't know who was going in beforehand and they had actual household names. I miss the way Davina would announce them as their car pulled up and out they popped with their suitcase to make quite a lengthy journey amongst the crowd and press up to the house, and best of all Davina never even met them until they were evicted which added to it.

BB3 - I remember thinking "wow Big Brother has got big!" Big new house, big new crowd. The format was slightly different to what we are used to now on a launch, but I wouldn't be adverse to them going back to it! Davina seemed to absolutely adore the show at this point and it really showed,

BB4 - Following BB3, the build-up was huuuuuge! I remember the housemates leaking and being on the front page of The Sun, but it turned out it was a decoy to put people off the scent. I liked the more intimate approach, and again I wouldn't mind a similar set-up returning! The Live Nominations an hour later dragged however, but it was interesting to see them all forced around a circular table to interact a mere hour after all meeting!

BB5 - An absolute explosion! The big new stage, the wild housemates, the house (which hadn't really been revealed in full if I'm not mistaken) and the tough new format were great. It was fast-paced with a real buzz and a sense of "omg" as each housemate was revealed that happened quite naturally, but that they would later try desperately to recapture.

BB6/7 - Big, energetic crowds, good twists, Davina on top form, a good swift house tour... those were the days! Definitely the tried and tested iconic Big Brother launch night.

BB8 - It started with an apology and all fell a bit flat. The house tour with the hand camera, the lengthened entrance walk which seemed to awkwardly prolong things, and the all female twist just fell a bit flat.

BB9 - A slight return to glory, there was a good buzz about it again, and there were some great housemates.

BB10 - Flat as a pancake. The crowd noticeably dwindled for the first time, the house was underwhelming, the twist was AWFUL and it was the first time that I felt like I had seen it all before and it was just a rehash.

BB11 - A decent stab at something different, and a good energy given that it was billed as the "last ever" Big Brother.

As bad as I thought the BB8 and 10 launches were, I would LOVE to see something like that return... I guess you don't know what you've got til it's gone! The best thing about the old launches was I always used to think "Oh I'll never remember all these new names, and it won't be as familiar as the old lot last year" But 10 weeks of Live Feed later, and you felt like you knew the housemates as well as some of your friends! Ahhh.... the glory days!